Alfonso Cuarón to Attend Busan Film Festival for His Inaugural Visit to Korea, Highlighting European Women Filmmakers

The highly anticipated 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) is set to make headlines this year, as it welcomes the acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón for his first visit to Korea. This year’s festival also features a shining spotlight on nine films created by European women and genderqueer filmmakers.

Cuarón, a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Director, is celebrated for his unrivaled talents, having won for “Gravity” (2013) and “Roma” (2018). His illustrious career was further recognized with the Venice Film Festival’s best screenplay award for “Y Tu Mamá También” (2001) and a Golden Lion for “Roma.” He first garnered attention with “Y Tu Mamá También,” a captivating exploration of youth and desire. Later, he took the helm of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” (2004), steering the series into darker, more introspective territory. His expertise in employing extended long takes was particularly evident in “Children of Men” (2007), immersing viewers in a war-torn world. Attendees can look forward to Cuarón’s presence at BIFF’s opening ceremony, where he will engage in an insightful conversation about the cinematic language that defines his work. The festival will also feature an Imax screening of “Gravity,” co-written with his son, filmmaker Jonás Cuarón.

Jonás Cuarón’s latest feature, “Campeón Gabacho,” is also making waves, poised to have its Asian premiere in the World Cinema section, followed by an engaging post-screening Q&A session. Since his collaboration on “Gravity,” Jonás has carved out a niche for himself in filmmaking, contributing works such as “Desierto” (2015) and “Chupa” (2023). “Campeón Gabacho” portrays the journey of a Mexican immigrant forging a new life in the United States, featuring a talented cast that includes Juan Daniel García Treviño, Leslie Grace, Rubén Blades, Eddie Marsan, Rosario Dawson, and Cheech Marin. This project was produced by Jonás alongside his father and Gabriela Rodriguez, all under their company, Esperanto Filmoj, with Nicolás Celis also stepping in as a producer.

In addition to these exciting premieres, BIFF will showcase “Europe! Voices of Women+ in Film,” a collaborative initiative with the European Film Promotion (EFP). This segment aims to highlight nine selected films through strategic promotion and industry networking. The showcased works include a range of genres such as period dramas, do***entaries, and contemporary narratives that evoke themes of freedom, memory, and family—four of which represent filmmakers’ first significant features. Among these is May el-Toukhy’s “Woman Unknown,” which clinched the Golden Lion at Venice, marking a significant milestone as she is the first Danish woman filmmaker to achieve that honor.

The lineup also includes works from noteworthy directors: Marine Atlan’s debut “La Gradiva,” Pegah Ahangarani’s “Rehearsals for a Revolution,” and Sandra Wollner’s “Everytime,” which won accolades at Cannes. Additional feature debuts come from Margherita Ferrari’s “Föa – Once Upon a Future,” Isabelle Stever’s “I Rarely Wake Up Dreaming,” Marie Kreutzer’s “Gentle Monster,” and Shahrbanoo Sadat’s “No Good Men.” Judith Godrèche’s “A Girl’s Story” is part of the gala presentations, spotlighting the diversity of storytelling in this year’s selection alongside notable finalists such as Jacqueline Lentzou’s “A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra,” honored with the Horizons Award for Best Director at Venice.

Five directors from the “Europe! Voices of Women+ in Film” program, including el-Toukhy, Godrèche, Ferrari, Lentzou, and Kotzamani, are set to travel to Busan to present their films. Godrèche will also participate in a Cine Cl*** session titled “Women, Rewriting the Screen.” Furthermore, a panel discussion, “Women Directors: Taking the Scene,” co-hosted by BIFF and EFP, will gather voices from the festival, providing a platform for collaboration and dialogue among filmmakers.

Seo Seunghee, the BIFF programmer, noted a notable increase in the presence of European women directors within the festival’s lineup. “It’s encouraging to see that four of the nine invited films are feature debuts, which speaks to the generational shifts happening in European cinema,” she remarked. “Our partnership with EFP has proven to be an invaluable resource for uncovering outstanding films and filmmakers, reflected in this year’s impressive lineup.”

Irina Ignatiew-Lemke, managing director of EFP, remarked on the initiative stating, “Europe! Voices of Women+ in Film allows us and our member organizations to unify efforts, elevating distinctive European voices to greater visibility on the international stage.” She emphasized the significance of Busan as a platform for these filmmakers, stating, “By combining the festival’s selection with EFP’s focused promotion and networking, we aim to support underrepresented talents and cultivate opportunities for the next generation of women+ filmmakers.”

This program is brought to fruition through partnerships with BIFF, the Sydney Film Festival, and Festival do Rio, supported by the Creative Europe – MEDIA Programme of the European Union. This year’s participants include national film promotion organizations such as Austrian Films, Cinecittà, the Czech Film Center, the Danish Film Institute, German Films, and Unifrance, with Cineuropa stepping in as the media partner.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival is scheduled to take place from October 6-15 at the Busan Cinema Center and various venues throughout Busan. In tandem, the 21st Asian Contents & Film Market will be held from October 10-13, promising an enriching experience for all attendees.